Category: Amazing Things

Amazing Things, Kenny LewisLeave a comment

It’s Been A Sad Day

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Today has been a very sad day. A beautiful home was a total loss. However no one was injured. Many years of memories, hard work and treasures are now a pile of ashes. I know this because it was the home of my brother, Kenny and his wife Carol. They will be fine. They are fortunate to have a vacant home just down the road to go to tonight. They are resilient, but much sadness is in their future. Unlike most things with me, it’s a story so I let it rip on Facebook, namely on The Angora Chronicles. But … Continue reading It’s Been A Sad Day

Amazing Things, Kenny LewisLeave a comment

Through The Ashes

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After the Fire Department left the house this afternoon, we were able to get a few things that were dear to Carol and Kenny. Many photo albums survived. It’s hard to believe, that they had so many pictures and maybe a couple dozen or more albums survived. Most of Kenny’s family history books were still there. Some damp, some wet, some were mostly unaffected. They even found a few paintings in good shape. One was a painting of Cow Creek by a local artist. His name escapes me at the moment, but Madeline and I gave it to them for … Continue reading Through The Ashes

Amazing Things, The History of TexasLeave a comment

Playing The Game Of “Connect The People”

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It’s strange how people all around the country are connected and we never realize it. I was reading about the Wolf Family from Georgetown (owned the land where the Wolf Ranch Shopping Center is located). We did a lot of work around that development and got to know some of that family. Actually I had known Harry Robertson that married into the Wolf family since childhood. Harry’s sister had married one of my cousins way back when. Mr. Jay Wolf (the patriarch) died back in the 90’s. Wondering about Mrs. Wolf, Bettie, I found her obit. She had passed on … Continue reading Playing The Game Of “Connect The People”

Amazing Things, My Friends, The History of TexasLeave a comment

Are You Going To Buckle Your Seatbelt?

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I once was passing my neighbors place out of Dripping Springs and saw he was there. It was a weekday and I realized he, being a state employee probably had the day off because it was Texas Independence Day.  When I pulled up he came outside a we visited a few minutes, then he said, why don’t we drive into town a buy a 6 pack of Lone Star Beer and drive over across the creek, Onion Creek, to the “lookout” a place he really enjoyed. It seemed like the Texas thing to do. I had nothing going on so … Continue reading Are You Going To Buckle Your Seatbelt?

Amazing Things, The Early Days5 Comments

The Little Things That Happen

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Every day events in our life happen that shape the course of our history. I sometimes play the “IF” game with myself. The most simple occurrence, the conversations we have, the chance encounters change the course of everything that will happen for the rest of our lives and will impact the lives of so many others. The most important chance encounter that changed my life happened by simply stopping at a beer joint one afternoon. The old 281 Club, that many of you remember, used to set on the side of highway between Johnson City and Marble Falls at Round … Continue reading The Little Things That Happen

Amazing Things, Kenny Lewis, Smithwick, The Early DaysLeave a comment

There Used To Be Some Big Bullfrogs Around This Area.

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When I was a small child there used to be a lot of really large bullfrogs. We had frog legs fairly regularly. I guess they have mostly been killed off. These pictures of my brother, Kenny holding big ones. This was about 1953. But those look small compared to this on I saw here on FB. Now that would make a mess of frog legs. Continue reading There Used To Be Some Big Bullfrogs Around This Area.

Amazing Things, In and Around Austin, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

The Double Cross

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The are some things that happen in our lives that leave us wondering about mankind. This story left me feeling less trustful and saddened. I had become very good friends with an old gentleman that was my neighbor, Udo Haufler. Upon his retiring after a long and successful career as an excavation contractor in Austin, I bought his office and yard along with several pieces of his equipment. I didn’t buy his business per se, and I’ve alway questioned why I didn’t. He had almost cornered the market on doing big excavation projects around Austin. The Haufler name in the … Continue reading The Double Cross

Amazing Things, In and Around AustinLeave a comment

A Really Fast Food Joint

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Anyone remember when they built the new hamburger place on William Cannon at Manchaca Road. It was a GW Jr’s. They started and worked around the clock to have it in operation in 24 hours and they did it. It was an attempt to set a record for the fastest fast food place to be built. They wanted to break a Guinness Book of World Records. Mostly a public relations stunt. Seemed to have worked. Forty years later and we are talking about it. It was in August 9, 1979. How do I remember the date, you may ask. We … Continue reading A Really Fast Food Joint

Amazing Things, Meeting New People, My Friends, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

My Friend Udo

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I have had the great fortune to meet many people in my lifetime. None probably made a greater impact on me than Udo Haufler. Udo was my neighbor, my friend and my mentor. The first day of 1977, Madeline and I moved into a house on a very quite, secluded south Austin street. Albert Road was like being in another place altogether. It wasn’t like living in Austin. Directly across the street was a large 2 story house, with a horse stable in the back. Esther and Udo Haufler were the elderly couple that lived there. (of course now that … Continue reading My Friend Udo